Stressed?

You barely went to bed and already your alarm is going off.Actually, it went off 30 minutes ago, and now you are stuck rushing through the shower (or deciding you won’t take one), fishing for clothes and your bag, and finding your keys. Out the door you are – which shouldn’t have taken more than 5 minutes, yet it’s already 10 minutes later! Darn!! Out the driveway you go and find yourself “stuck” behind the car in front of you, who is “only” doing the speed limit. And time is ticking …

Stress can come from various sources – school, work, friends, family, girlfriends, boyfriends… you name it. The trick is to learn to deal with stress, especially on the road. Most everyone who’s on the road is on some, more or less, important mission. And most everyone would like to get their mission done a.s.a.p. Not everyone will pay attention to you and your mission!!! So:

1. Take a deep breath, have your favorite music playing, and take some comfort in knowing that you are above it all. Speeding and other kinds of frenzied behavior = not cool.
2. Be nice. Got cut off? Someone tailgating you? Refer to Point 1, above, – and do your best to let it go. Focus on your driving and don’t push. Honking, signaling, or reacting to aggressive behavior will not teach anyone a lesson. People will ignore you – or, worse, you will provoke road rage. Not worth it. You just want to get to your destination - safely.
3. Don’t speed. Speeding is the number one reason for accidents that involve (and kill) teen drivers. Even going 20% faster than the limit won’t save you more than a minute or two. Apologize if you are late – people will understand. And try to leave earlier next time…
4. Treat yourself well. Make time for things that you enjoy doing, even if you have only 5 minutes. It will help you deal with everyday life, and relieve stress.You deserve it!